Internal-combustion engine.



c. M. LEEcH. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED 0CT.3| 1913.

Patent-ed May 11, 19115.

h.. ,0. Lm@ w fol u M a Ii; fw @IM M F o im@ M C I 5A.\\ IIIMQW enirnii stradine rafrnnr ernten -CHARLES M. LEECH, 0F LIM., rQHJIL INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

T0 all 'whom 'it may concern Be it known that l, CHARLES M. Limon, a citizen of 4Vthe United States, residing at Lima, i/n the county of Allen and State or hio, have invented certain new and useful vImprovements in Internal-Combustion Enina unit of two engines, one engine inthe unit serving to compress the charge arid feed the same to the explosion cylinder' of the other engine. i

Anl important object of this invention is .to provide .an engine of the above mentioned character, which is of simplified constriiction and will be exceedingly economical in the consumption of fuel. y

tlier objects' and advantages of this invention will be apparent during the course oit' the following description. i y

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specication and i'n which. like numerals are' employed to` designate like parts throughout the saine, Figure 1 isa central lbngitndinal sectional view through an internal combustion engine embodying my invention, Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1, Fig'. B isa horizontal sectional view taken on line of Fig. 1, Fig. 4: is a central longitudinal section through the tubular valve, and Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken on line 5-5 oi' Fig'fl. Y f In the drawings, l have shown preferably vertical engines of a unit of two, the engines in each unit lfming identical. Each engine of the two forms thereof comprises an explosion cylinder 15, arranged above a pumping cylinder' 16, which is ot greater diameter, as shown.. The engine may be either air orwater cooled. Mounted to reciprocate Within the explosioncylinder 15 is a preferablylillow' piston .17, adapted when moved to the endof its downward travel to uncover inlet.Y and exhaust ports '18V and 19, preferably ldiameti'ically oppositely arranged, as shown.- The inlet port 18 is divided into a plurality of relatively small ports 20, adapted to be covered and uncovered by a valve 21. Connected. with. the

lower end ofwtlie working pistnn 17 is a pumping piston 22, of greater' diameter, and

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May i1, Sifi.

Application 'filed October 3, 1913. Serial No. 793,137?.k

arranged to reciprocate within the pump ing cylinder 16. Extending into the work-L ing piston is a pitnian 23, connected therewith by means of a. wrist pin 24. 'The pit-...5o

man 23 extends downwardly for pivotal connection with a crank 25 formed upenn rotatable crank-shaft 26. Formed nponthe4 lower end of the pumping cylinder 16 is closed preferably air tight vcrank case 27,as5568 'i shown. l

'lfhe numeral 28 designates'a preferably horizontally arranged valve casing or housing which is preferably arranged adjacent the upper end of the crank case27 and upon i7() one side of the same. This valve casing is provided with an axially extending main cylindrical gas receivingopening or chainbeii29 to rotatably receive a tubular valve 3o.

tubular valve has its opposite ends closedv 'by plugs 31.` The tubiilar valve 30 is rotated at one-half the speed of the crankshaft 26, by means of a sprocket wheel 32,

As more clearly shown in Fig. el, this rigidly connected with 'oneend thereof, such t() sprocket wheel being engaged by asprocket chain 33, engaging a sprocket wheel 3l. rlhe sprocket wheel is rigidly ni nnte-d uponthe crank-shaft 2S and-is arranged exteriorly of the casing 2? and preferably has 85 a dianieterof onefhalicv the length of the diameter oi the sprocket wheel Ris more' clearly shown in Figs. 4f and the tubular valve 30 is provided midway between its closed ends with pairs of preferably diamet se ricallyl oppositely arranged longitudinal ports 35, which are adaiitedjto be successively brought into Vregistration with a p rt ,SG leadin into the osenin 29 and a .eas

supply pipe, not shown, connected with a 9.5

carbureter of any well known or preferred type. The ports are preferably arranged at 900 with relation to each other as clearly shown in Fig. The tubular valve SO-is provided near its opposite ends with pairs of ports 38 the vports in each pair being di# ametrically oppositelyA varranged and the ports in one pair being arranged. at an angle of o with relation to the ports 'of the other pair.

The numeral 39 designates a port, formed through the valve casing 28 and arranged to register with each of the ports 38. 'The port 39 leads into thepumping cylinder 16 pref. erably midway between the ends thereo.`

As more clearly shown in Fig. 2, the nii` mei-al #l0 designates compression chambers,

il L) formed upon the upper ends of the pumping cylinders 1G and having no communication with the pumping cylinders adjacent them. In each unit, the pumping-cylinder 16 of one engine is in free communication vwith the compression chamber et() of the other engine by means of a port 41. Attention is called to the fact that the compression chambersA or cylinders t() are independent of each other and have no communication. As more clearly shown in Fig. l, the compression chamber 40 supplies gas to the adjacent cylinder 15, the passage of the gas being regulated by the valve 21, as is obvious.

The operation of the engine is as follows: Upon-the down stroke of the piston in each engine, and when the same is about one-half of the way down, the rotatable tubular valve 30 is turned so that one end of the ports 35 is brought into registration with the port 39, whereby the pumping piston 22 will draw or suck the gas into the pumping cylinder 1G, when the piston 22 passes the` port 39 upon the downward movement of said piston. By the time the pumping piston 22 has moved'to the end of its downward movement, the port 38 is moved out of registration with the port Upon the upward nioveinert of the 'pumping piston 22, the gas 4coi'itairn within the pumping cylinder 16 above the piston 22 is compressed anid forced upwardly throughport il (it now being iin- .possible :for the gas to pass back through port S9) intothe compression chamber or cylinder l() of the other engine. The piston in this other engine is traveling downwardly while the piston in'the first named engine is traveling upwardly. Willen the piston in thesecond named engine reaches the end of its downward stroke, it uncovers the exhaust port 19 and inlet port 1S, allowing of the discharge of the burnt gases and receiving a fresh charged gas rom the adjacenticompression chamber or cylinder 4:0. Thisffresh charge is of course entrapped upon the upward movement of the piston, further compressed thereby and fired when the piston is about to start upon its downward movement. It is thus seen that l have provided an engine unit of twoengines, one engine serving to pump and compress the gas into a compression chamber or cylinder, which sup--v plies the same to the other engine at the proper time. Vhen it is desired to run each engine at a reduced speed, the valve 2l is properly turned to close asuitable number of the passages 20. By this means the passage of the compressed charge" into the cylinder 15 may be partially or wholly reduced. When this has been done, upon the down stroke of the pumping piston 22' (the pumping cylinder 16 always-haying free and unobstructed communication with the compression chamber or cylinder 40 adjacent the other engine), the gas remaining within such compression chamber or cylinder is drawn back into the pumping cylinder, thus preventing an unnecessary additional charge of' the gas being drawn from the carbureter,

whereby a substantial saving vin the conof an annulaicompression chamber surrounding each power cylinder, having communication therewith and having a transverse port communicating with the compression cylinder ot the other engine; a valve casing having a common inlet and outlet ports leading into the compression cylinders of the two engines; a tubular valve rotatable within the valve casing and provided lbetween its ends with. four inlet ports arranged at substantially ninety degrees apart and at'each Aend with a pair of inlet openings arranged at substantially 180O apart; and means for driving the tubular valve at substantially one-half crank shaft speed.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature .in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES M. LEECH. Witnesses:

WALTER F. Rionin, CLARENCE C. Minnen. 

